AKSG To Issue Executive Order Against Indiscriminate Waste Disposal By Citizens

By Bassey Nkponam
ITU
To checkmate the common practice of indiscriminate disposal of waste by citizens, as experienced in some parts of the state, the Akwa Ibom government is enacting a law against such practices in the State.
In addition to this, government has also constituted a taskforce compromising the Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Commission(NSCDC), while a bill to back it up will soon be put in place by the State House of Assembly for onward passage into law.
The State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, who announced this Wednesday, at the official launch of newly-acquired equipment for the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA) in Itu Local Government Area, said government will issue an executive order providing legal backing for the prosecution of anyone caught in the act of indiscriminate waste disposal in the state.
Eno frowned at the poor attitude of Akwa Ibom people towards waste disposal, recalling that Akwa Ibom has consistently remained a clean State, hence the need to maintain the status.
He said government will ensure that the agency, alongside the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, have the law and the backing of the law to do their work, adding that a taskforce has also been constituted and a bill to back it up will soon be put in place by the State House of Assembly for onward passage into law.
According to him, an average Akwa Ibomite is a very clean person as reflected in the personality and the environment they live, saying, the resolve of government towards ensuring that the tempo is sustained and our city continues to remain very clean and green, led to government’s decision to support the agency with new equipment.
Eno stressed the need for concerted effort between the local and state governments in ensuring a clean state and charged local government councils to align with the agency in the discharge of their duties.
  “We have heard all of the complaints of our people. But let me also say here that I am sending a bill to the House of Assembly to be able to now begin to properly prosecute those who will continue to dump refuse outside and indiscriminately.
  “We are clean people. I don’t see why you will come out of your house, pack your refuse and throw in the street.
  “We are now setting up a taskforce. As I speak now, the taskforce is constituted and we will go to the House of Assembly to get a bill in place, and we will pass it into law. We will not only bark, but we will bite. I have asked the commissioner for Internal Security to post some members of the Ibom Community Watch to work with you in setting up a taskforce, put the Police and Civil Defense and we will give you two buses to ensure that we get our works done.
  “We want to ensure that visitors coming to our State continue to appreciate our clean and green environment. But even before we do that, I am signing the first executive order, number one since I became governor. That we will prosecute everyone that will not adhere to our principle to keep our environment clean.
  “Where you live should be clean, and I don’t know what the health inspectors are doing.We have to stop these, and the law will enable you to prosecute in the mobile court immediately. Go to any house and any place that is not clean and shut the place down.
  “We are clean people and we must maintain that status. An Akwa Ibom person does not like dirt. So I belief that if the government agencies carry out their work appropriately, we would be able to control this”.
The governor announced government’s plans to partner “Clean Up Nigeria” by May 29, 2025 to institute an award to the cleanest local government area in the State as part of its effort to keep not only Uyo, the state capital, but the entire stateclean.
He said, “We are going to sit down, fashion out the award, look at the criteria which we will use. We will bring people who will do the assessment without any bias”.
Unveiling the newly acquired equipment, which comprised 5 units of waste compacting trucks, 4 units of waste swing arm trucks, 1 unit of pull-up waste truck with crane mechanism, 50 units 6,000 litres dumpsters and 6 units of 12,000 litres dumpsters, Eno urged Ikim to ensure their maintenance, as government will not want to hear of the breakdown of any.
The chairman of Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency(AKSEPWMA), Prince Ikim, commended the vision of the governor in maintaining a clean state through the purchase of the equipment, and assured of his commitment to driving the vision of the governor to fruition.
The chairman of Itu Local Government council, Mr. Ubong Nkut, thanked Governor Eno for bringing development to the area, noting that the flag-off of the Nung Ukot Itam – Ikot Ekwere Road projects are testaments to his promise kept in the area.
Nkut assured the governor of the support of the people of Itu beyond his first term.
The national coordinator, Clean Up Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ene Baba-Owo, lauded Eno’s vision in maintaining a clean environment in the State, charging the agency against relenting in driving the vision of the governor to fruition.
The permanent secretary, Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, Barr.Ikwo Abia, appreciated Governor Eno for the lofty programmes of his administration as regards the environment.